On That Day
by BGishBACK
Summary: 9-11 started out like any other day. It was warm, and the sky was beautiful. How could it all go downhill so fast? And...where's my mother?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok, I know I have a story to work on. I will get back to it. But since 9-11 is coming up, I decided to do something. I will never forget the 343 firefighters and parametics killed. The 23 NYPD officers killed. The 37 Port Authority officers killed. And I WILL NOT FORGET the 2,819 people murdered on that day! **

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><p><em>Danny's P.o.V...<em>

That day was amazing. The sky was a gentle baby blue, the air a cool degree, and the city a natural bustle. That is, until that first plane hit. It all went down hill from there…

..oo..00..oo..00..

"Danny!" Mom called, glancing around for me. "Where are you?"

I giggled and jumped out from behind the Fenton RV, the warm sun shining brightly down on my white shirt. "Here!" I yelled happily.

Mom whipped around quickly, her hand over her heart. "Oh my God, Danny! You scared me!" she sighed and leaned weakly against the driver's side door.

"I know!" I laughed, feeling the soft wind flow through my hair. "That's why I did it!" I leaned my right shoulder on the side of the RV, and crossed my arms and raised my eyebrows. "So, when are we going to meet Dad and Jazz?" I asked seriously.

"Tomorrow, in the North Tower." she smiled happily, her face glowing.

"I miss them…a lot…" I whispered the last part and looked sadly to the ground.

"I know." Mom sighed and took a few steps towards me. "I do too." she wrapped me up in a big hug and petted the back of my head. "But, we'll see them tomorrow."

"That's good." I wrapped my arms around her waist respectfully and turned my head to the right. "Why did we ever leave them in the first place?"

"I wanted to live in the city." Mom whispered, laying her chin on top of my head gently. "And your father…didn't. He let me come alone…"

"But I came with you." I looked up at her, worry in my eyes.

"I know." she smiled weakly down at me and wiped my bangs out of my eyes. "I just can't believe he and Jazz weren't more adventurous."

"Really?" I chided as gently as I could and pulled back. "Do you even know Jazz or Dad?"

She chuckled and leaned against the RV again. "Yes, dear, I think I know them."

I rolled my eyes and stuck my hands in my pockets. "Do we have to wait around here all morning? Or can we go for a walk?" I asked, my fingers mentally crossed for the latter.

Mom groaned and looked at the sky momentarily, then switched her gaze down to me and smiled. "If you want…we can go to Manhattan this morning."

I glanced down at my watch Dad had given me for my birthday. On the minute hand was a green blob of a ghost, and on the hour hand was Dad, a big gun balanced on his shoulder and pointing at it. The clock read '8 am.'

"Tell me again why we've made the habit of waking up at 6:30 everyday?" I rolled my eyes and dropped my wrist to my side.

"Shut up and get in the RV." Mom said sarcastically, opening the door and working her way in. Then, she put the key in the ignition and started the engine.

"Hey wait for me!" I yelled worriedly, making a mad dash to the other side of the RV and jumping in.

"Welcome to air-Maddie, please fasten your seatbelts and enjoy the ride." Mom said happily, her face glowing once again.

"Shut up and drive, woman." I laughed, sarcasm lacing my voice.

"Watch it, Mister." Mom snapped. She started to drive anyway, which I found slightly ironic.

We sat in silence for a few seconds before I turned the radio on. 'How You Remind Me' by Nickelback just started playing. "Ah, yes." I sighed happily. "I could use some good music."

Mom chuckled and stopped at a red light. "You think this is good music?" she asked gently. "Bah!"

"Oh yeah?" I raised an eyebrow and jerked backward lightly as she pressed on the gas pedal. "'This is how you remind me…this is how you remind me of what I really am." I sang along, getting on Mom's nerves purposely.

"Don't sing that!" she hissed, her eyes glued to the road. "Turn it to something worth listening to!"

"Like what?" I sassed, trying to focus on the song.

"Like the Christian channel!"

"Ugh! Fine!" I moaned and switched it. Luckily, a song I knew popped on, or else I would've changed it.

"Yes." she sighed happily and sunk back in the driver's seat. "'Saturn.' Thank God for Skillet."

"No kiddin'." I crossed my arms angrily and looked out the window. "At least John knows how to sing."

"I guess…" Mom sighed and made a turn.

We sat in silence for the rest of the long ride to the lower portion of the Manhattan island. She parked the RV in a garage a few blocks away from the towers. We walked silently through the city until we found the amazing buildings again.

"What time is it, Danny?" Mom asked, staring blankly up at the South Tower.

"It's 8:45, mom." I said simply, shielding my eyes from the sun.

"Wow." she sighed and looked down at me. "Aren't these buildings amazing?"

"Didn't you hear me?" I asked curiously.

"Chill, boy. It's not like the world is ending." even though she had a scolding tone, her face looked gentle, and her voice sounded soft and sweet.

I laughed lightly and looked up at the towers. "They really are amazing…" I sighed and felt my body relax. Maybe this is why we moved to the city? Just for the beauty and peace surrounding the buildings. "I can see why we moved here."

"Really?" she asked dreamily, seemingly lost in the towers' beauty.

"Yeah." I breathed out gently and smiled. "The beauty of the buildings and the peace surrounding them."

She smiled and looked down at me. "That's it. You got it right on the nose."

"Yeah." I smiled and looked at her. "It would be a great day for a helicopter ride, don't you think?"

"Yes and no." Mom said normally. "Wouldn't you rather be on the ground, feeling the gentle breeze and amazing Indian Summer weather?"

'_I'd rather be flying.' _I giggled nervously. At least she didn't know my secret, and since Phantom wasn't needed here, neither did anyone else.

Mom sensed my laugh and raised her eyebrows curiously. "What's so funny?" a smile spread across her face.

"Nothin." I giggled again, feeling happiness seep through me.

"Are you sure?" she reached out and grabbed me. Then she pulled my to her, my back against her front.

"Yeah." I blushed. She always loved the feel of my hair. Always sayin' it was soft and what-not.

"Are you sure you're sure?" she poked my sides lightly, making me laugh.

"Yes!" I giggled, struggling a little.

"Really?" she poked my stomach happily, making me laugh even more.

"Yes!" I yelled, laughing as she tickled my stomach and sides. I bent forward slightly and tried desperately to get out of her grip, but she had me. And she was taking advantage of it. Dude, why do parents always find it necessary to tickle you until you give them answers?

A loud boom from above made us both stop in mid-movement. "Did you hear that?" Mom asked, shaking slightly.

"Uh huh." I whispered back, my eyes wide.

We both looked up at the same time. "Oh my God." we said in unison.

"Who the hell…?" Mom asked, staring up at the North Tower. Black, ugly smoke poured from it's uppermost floors.

"What the hell…?" I asked, almost entranced by the amazing sight above us. I was sure mom would scold me for my language, but the smack never came. Neither did the dirty eyeball or the chiding. Just silence.

"Hey, what happened?" a woman behind us whispered.

"I'm not sure." a man answered. Both of them had their eyes glued to the tower.

"Someone call 911!" Mom yelled loudly, giant orange flames lapping at the side of the building. "Those people must be in hell!"

'_Hell…'_ I thought worriedly. _'Hell! Those people could be burning to death!' _"Damn!" I yelled, my eyes glued to the building. "People could be burning to death right now!"

"I know!" Mom yelled, worry showing grimly on her face. "Someone needs to help them!"

As if one cue, a group of several firefighters pushed past us yelling: "Everyone outa here!"

I grabbed Mom's hand and started to pull her away from the building nervously. She stared blankly at the building, leaving me to pull her along without any help from her. "Come on, Mom!" I said urgently. "Walk!"

Her mouth hung open as she continued to stare. Only this time she allowed herself to walk without a fight.

Dangerous, angry thoughts began forcing through my brain. _'What kind of idiot flies into a building? Maybe the pilot was drunk or dying? There is no way someone would be dumb enough to do that.' _I looked back at my mom, my eyes glowing green. "Mom!" I yelled anxiously. "Stop watching the tower and walk with me!" we had only made it a ten-so feet from where we originally stood.

"I…I…" she blubbered, tearing her eyes away from the tower and looking down at the ground.

"Mom?" a soft whisper escaped my lips. My eyes changed back to their normal blue. I stopped walking and held her hand gently. "It's gonna be ok…" I tried to comfort her.

"No…it's not…" she whispered, a tear running down her cheek. "The people above the crash site…they may not make it out…"

I gasped and looked up at the part of the building that was burning again. _'What if they didn't make it out?' _

"I mean imagine if all the people were trying to get to the top of the building right now because they couldn't get out."

What she said made me think. What if they were? I was too shocked to move. Now what? I glanced around desperately, trying to find a store or a restaurant where we could hide out until all this was over. A small restaurant caught my eye, and I started pulling her along again, only this time softer. She came easily, wiping a tear away and keeping up with me.

We walked in the door and sat down by a window, keeping a close watch on the buildings above. A young, thin, blonde woman stopped beside our table and smiled at us. "How may I help you?" she asked, pulling out her tablet and a pencil.

"Can I get a mocha coffee please?" Mom asked, looking at the waitress nervously.

"I promise." she stuck her tongue out and wrote down the order. "I don't bite."

Mom's eyes widened, and for a moment there I thought she was going to say something. But a weak chuckle escaped her lips, and a soft rise and fall of her shoulders accompanied it. "Good one." she smiled semi-brightly.

"Thank you." the waitress smiled and made a little curtsy. "And for you, cutie?" she asked, looking at me happily.

"Um…" my mouth felt dry for a minute. How was it I wasn't shaking? "Can I get a…uhhm…a French vanilla coffee?" I laid my hands on top of the table quickly, watching them shake ever so slightly.

"Ok…" she wrote down my order and looked at us both again. "Are you folks alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Well…sort of…" I mumbled.

"The North Tower has been…hit by a plane…" Mom shrugged nervously at the waitress.

"Dang, really?" the waitress looked out the window. Her jaw dropped as she realized what we said was true. "So that's what that bang was…"

"Yeah." I whispered, glancing out the window again.

"I'll be right back with your coffees…?" the woman almost asked, ripping her eyes away from the window as she walked away.

"How could she not know?" Mom asked, looking at me with huge eyes.

"I don't know." I replied, laying my chin on my palm gently. Our eyes were directed to a small tv screen looking down at us.

"'The North Tower of the World Trade Center has been hit-" an announcer's voice said worriedly.

"Do you see all that smoke?" Mom asked, her eyes glued to the screen. "Those poor people…"

"Mom…I'm sure everyone will get out ok…" but I wasn't sure at all. Was that debris I saw…or a person? I grimaced and looked at mom out of the corner of my eye, praying she hadn't seen what I just did.

I glanced down at my watch and rolled my eyes. How was it nine o'clock already? Had mom really had me struggle to get her move for _that _long? "Uh…mom…" before I could say anything else, another plane flew straight into the South Tower's middle. I covered my ears as the building we were in started to shudder and a loud bang sounded overhead.

"Another plane has just hit the World Trade Center. I repeat-"

"I know!" I yelled, tears coming to my eyes. How many more people just died? Just lost their life on an innocent Tuesday morning?

"Oh no!" Mom sobbed, her shoulders shaking. She buried her head in her hands.

"We've got to get out of here." I ripped my eyes away from the screen and got up. "Come on." I whispered, helping Mom stand up and walking her out of the little restaurant.

"Oh no…" Mom whispered, looking up. There was a loud bang, and I shielded her eyes before she could see what I saw.

A person…a body laid just a few inches to our left. It was colorless…and very much broken. There's no way I would ever let my mother see that if she didn't have to.

"What was that?" she whimpered, trying weakly to see around my hand.

"Nothing…" I mumbled, keeping our steady pace. A group of people caught my eye, and I stopped. Mom looked at the people I was looking at and smiled weakly.

"Hi…" she whispered, walking over to them.

"Hello there, miss." a medium sized man said nervously. "I wouldn't stand to close if I was you."

"Too…close?" she turned her head to look behind her.

"There's all sorts'a things fallin' from both buildins'." he grimaced for a minute and looked down to the ground.

"Come on, mom." I said, pushing her into the crowd. A small voice caught my attention just long enough to pause for a few seconds before continuing my struggle.

"Why is no one helping?" it whispered sadly.

I looked around, and I saw a woman a few feet in front of me. She was shaking and crying onto someone's shoulder.

"Why?" she whispered, sniffing.

"It's gonna be ok…" the man who was holding her up petted her head gently.

I stopped completely and looked at mom. "Why is no one helping?" up until this time, I had completely forgotten about my ghost half. It just completely slipped from my mind…until now.

"I don't know." she whispered, stopping and turning around to face me.

I looked up into her sad, blue eyes and whimpered. "I know someone who can help…"

"I do too, sweety." she whispered, crouching down to the ground. I got down on my knees in front of her and wrapped her in a big hug. Her arms closed around my waist tightly.

"No…I mean I really do." I pulled back, tears in my eyes.

"What's-"

"I can-" a tear ran down my cheek. "help…"

"No you can't." she held my head to her shoulder gently.

"I know I can, mom." tears were pouring out of my eyes now. "I can get Phantom to help."

"How?" Mom asked, putting both her hands on my shoulders. "He's back in Amity Park…"

"No…he's not." I whispered, the tears slowing to just one or two falling from my eyes. "He's here…" I glanced around quickly, shrugged, and transformed into Danny Phantom in front of my mom's eyes.

"What…?" she whispered, standing up in shock. I stood up to and smiled at her.

"I can help." my gloved hand wiped a single tear out of her eye gently. "Please…"

"Danny…you've…died?" she whispered, her expression strangely blank.

"No…sort of…" I rubbed the back of my neck and looked up at the towers. "Please…let me help."

"Oh…" she backed away from me. Not hug me, or kiss me, or try to fight with me. She _backed _away.

"Mom?" I whispered, my tears stopping completely. "What're you doing?"

She said nothing, just backed up a few more steps before I watched her run away. I don't know where she went, but I know she ran. And I was too stupid to go after her. I just stood there like a babbling idiot, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Mom?" I cried out, watching in fear as she completely disappeared.

Several people in the group turned and faced me…the ghost boy. I heard them scream and watched their eyes grow wide. Of all the days to be a spectacle, these people chose today. In a few seconds flat, they had all taken off, running mindlessly away from the ghost boy.

I don't know what I felt next…I just know it was agonizing. All the pain, anger, fear, and sadness worked into a tight ball in my chest, causing a feel of deep, hidden remorse. "I'm goin in." I hissed, my eyes slits. And in a few seconds time, I was off the ground, flying for the South Tower of the World Trade Center.

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><p><strong>So...good, bad? Tell me? I will continue either way. But I still...kinda...would appreciate it. :)<strong>

**My prayer to the families: **

**God, hold them tight, keep them warm in your grasp. Let them know you haven't forsaken them. You do not plan for evil to happen, yet it does just the same. Please, let the families of the lost proclaim praises to Your highest name. And let them know that when they felt most alone, when they only saw one set of footprints in the sand, that those footprints were Your's. That you were carrying them through, helping them get by. Let them know that on that day, You cried with them. For, even though Your moods do not effect the weather, you were crying with them, sobbing with them, standing with them, holding them. I pray you help the families of lost on the day of the tenth anniversary. You know how much they'll need it. **

**I will not appologize for the prayer. On that day of great loss and sorrow, everyone prayed, everyone cried, everyone felt kicked in the gut. Will we rise from the ashes and live on? Or will we rise and forget all that happened and all that we lost? Whose side are you on?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is the next chapter. Uploaded on 9/11 itself. Pray for the families who bore witness and lost loved ones. This day will be difficult for them. And pray that the feeling of fear and uneasiness for the coming day is just a feeling, not a truth. We do not want or need another attack on the one day that has yet to heal.**

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><p>Heat blazed in my face as I broke through a window a few stories down from the impact zone. "Hello?" I gagged, feeling the smoke burn my throat. "Anyone there?" I heard moaning, but I couldn't see through the thick smoke. "If you can see my eyes-" I coughed violently for a moment before continuing. "Yell…" tears clouded my eyes, making it hard for me too see in the already dense smoke.<p>

"H-h-help!" a woman's voice called out. "I…I've been burned!"

"Hello?" I yelled out. "I can't see you!" I wiped my eyes with my gloved hand and started walking on the hot floor. "Miss? Can you yell for me?"

"I'm over here!" I heard her yell.

"Where?" I called back, looking left and right for her. Before I could take another step, my head hit off of something dangling from the ceiling. In a fast few seconds I was on the ground, something semi-cool flowing from my forehead. "Ugh…" I moaned, rolling onto my back. "What hit me?" it wasn't long before I felt my eyes droop. "No…" I whispered, my eyes half closed. "I can't…pass…out…" my mouth became droopy and numb. "Damn…" was the last thing I said before it all went black.

..oo..00..oo..00..

A loud roaring overhead brought me out of my slumber. "Huh?" I moaned, opening my eyes. I could feel the floor shaking violently. And I could feel the building starting to sway. "What's…happening?"

Loud screams pierced through my ears, almost deafening me on the spot. A gut feeling told me to get up and run, but my body told me to stay where I was…to not be in pain. All around me, I heard crashing and banging. I could feel the floor crumbling underneath me.

"Come on…Fenton…" I whispered, slowly pushing myself off the floor. "Get…out…" I moaned and tried desperately to walk to the window. All around me, I could see smoke and feel a rush of air. My stomach hurt and the room was spinning. I laid my head on my upturned palm, which was bare, and walked to the edge of the floor. I looked up, trying to see what was causing the commotion. It was hard to tell…but…that didn't stop me from getting up on the windowsill.

I could feel my chest hurting and my head going blank. "Do it." I chided myself. "You don't want to know what's happening." truth be told, I would have _loved _to know what was happening. I was completely clueless!

"Three…two…" a gush of air pushed my out the window before I could even think 'one'. "AHH!" I yelled, watching as I fell down…down…down… Just as I was approaching the sidewalk, I turned back into Danny Phantom…which I had no idea I had changed human in the first place…and I went intangible, flying right threw the ground.

I landed with a thud, and everything went black…again.

..oo..00..oo..00..

"Danny!" Maddie called, tears in her eyes as she watched the South Tower collapse. "Oh my God! DANNY!" she fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. "What if he was in there?" she whispered, tears flowing freely from her eyes.

Screams echoed all around her as people watched in horror.

Before she knew what was happening, someone grabbed her shoulder and started running. "AH!" she yelled, looking back at a man.

"RUN!" he yelled, letting go of her and taking off.

"Run…?" Maddie looked back and saw a massive, white dust cloud approaching her. "AH!" her knees scraped the ground as she tried desperately to escape the cloud.

It groaned and growled, flowing over her in an instant and squeezing the air from her lungs.

"Help!" she gagged, trying to crawl through the smoke. "Please?" dust covered her throat and piled in her mouth and eyes, making her miserable. Something flew overhead and barely missed her, causing her to scream out in terror. "Oh no…" and she was out cold.

..oo..00..oo..00..

_Jazz's P.o.V…_

"Oh no! Dad!" I yelled, my eyes glued to the tv screen in the living room. "PLEASE!"

"What is it, Jazzy Pants?" Dad called from the basement.

"I really think you should KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING!" I yelled back in frustration. "The fucking South Tower of the World Trade Center just fell!"

"Jasmine Fenton!" Dad yelled, stomping up the steps. "We do not use that kind of language!"

"Dude!" I yelled, feeling the desperation in my voice. Why had I ever agreed to stay with Dad? "The tower just fell! I'm sorry I swore, but what if Mom and Danny are hurt?"

Dad stomped into the living room and plopped down on the couch beside me. He crossed his arms and glared at the tv screen. "I'll have you know I was working on something _very _important down there."

"Oh yeah?" I asked, eyeing him with an annoyed expression on my face. "What?"

"A ghost catching device." he replied, pouting ever so slightly.

"So…we're meeting Mom and Danny at the North Tower tomorrow…and all you could think about is a dumb ghost gadget? Not making them a present or something?" I chided, glaring at him angrily.

"The towers will be there tomorrow, Jazz. I'll just buy them something from the South Tower's many stores before we meet them."

Oh my God. I could've died. "YOU IDIOT!" I yelled angrily, my hands clenching into fists. "THE. SOUTH. TOWER. IS. GONE." I grabbed his head and turned it towards the tv. Scenes of the collapse were replaying over and over.

Dad's mouth hung open as he saw the collapse. I slowly let loose my grip on his face and sighed. "Do you see now?"

"Uh huh." he nodded, his mouth open as far as it would go. "What if Danny or Maddie was around that building?"

I slapped myself on the forehead and smiled a crazy smile. I could've ripped my hair out at that point. "That's what I've been trying to tell you!" I hissed, my eyes bugging out of my head. "We need to go to New York tonight to see if they're ok!"

"Sounds good to me, Jazzy Pants! Come on!" Dad yelled, jumping up from the couch and running with all his might to my new car. And I was not about to let him drive it.

"Whoa whoa whoa." I shook my head. "You are not driving my new car."

"But Jazz-"

"No." I walked over to the driver's side and sat down in the seat. "Now come on!" I put the keys in the ignition and started the little Focus. "Let's go!"

..oo..00..oo..00..

_Danny's P.o.V…_

"_Danny!" _

"_Huh?" I opened my eyes. My white hair was laying over my eyes, making my forehead itch. I sat up weakly and held my head. All around me was a meadow, filled with soft, sweet grass. _

"_Wake up, sleepy-head!" _

"_I'm up…I'm up…" I mumbled. For some reason, my feet felt heavy when I tried to stand up. _

"_Shhh…just stay calm. Everything will be ok…"_

_I wanted to ask who was talking, but something told me not to. I was feeling so peaceful. "I know…" I replied, looking up. I shielded my eyes with a gloved hand carefully. A bright light shown down on me, almost blinding me on contact with my eyes._

"_Just take a deep breath…there you go." the voice was encouraging me. For the first time, I could tell the gender of the person talking. It was a woman's voice._

"_Why…?" I asked, my head starting to hurt. "The light…"_

"_It's ok." the woman's voice said gently. I cold feel her petting my head, yet she was totally invisible. "I'll put it out…"_

_In a few seconds time, the light was out and I could see clearly. "Thanks…" _

"_Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?" the voice asked sweetly._

"_Yeah…" I looked up and saw two fingers above my head. "Two…"_

"_Very good." she smiled happily. Wait a second…I actually see her! She's blonde…and thin. And…she's standing above me? I'm…I'm laying down?_

"Huh?" I began to cough. Tears came to my eyes as my chest burned agonizingly.

"Shhh…" the woman whispered, petting my forehead gently. "You're ok now."

"Now?" I sputtered, realizing for the first time that I was dreaming. In a few seconds time, pain, fear, anger, and vertigo overtook me, sending me into a downward spiral. I heard something beside me start beeping loudly, almost as though telling on me for something.

"Help!" the woman called, pulling thick plastic gloves over her hands. "I need a shock cart fast!"

"Shock…cart…?" I felt myself slipping down further. I could feel darkness pouring in around me, stuffing me in a small box. Then, an intense pain shot through my body, waking me up instantaneously. "AH!" I yelled, my eyes wide.

"He's awake!" the blonde-haired woman called happily. She stood up from where she was sitting and walked over to me. "Hello there. I'm Dr. Finch." she petted my white hair to the side and smiled.

I looked down at myself nervously. No black suit, no logo, no nothing. Just a patient's robe covering the top part of my body, and a thin, white blanket covering the lower half. "Umm…?" I whispered, fear coursing through my veins like ice. "Where's my…costume?"

"Oh…here…" Dr. Finch walked to the bathroom in my room and brought out my outfit, all folded up. "It's kinda…ripped…" she grabbed it by the shoulders and let it unfold. It touched the ground, the shoulders at her own. "It's a nice suit."

I smiled weakly. "So…what happened?"

The doctor looked at me gently and rolled the suit back up. Then she placed it on a table and walked over to me. "You were in an accident…" her voice trailed off and she looked away.

"What…?" I asked, my eyes wide. It hadn't even occurred to me that I might be human right now, exposing my secret to everyone.

"A few hours ago, actually." Dr. Finch looked away, rubbing the back of her neck. There was something she wasn't telling me, I could see it in her eyes.

"Yeah…?" I sat up in bed and looked at her nervously. My chest ached like it was on fire, sending me into a deep curl-over, gripping my stomach in agony. Tears came to my eyes as my anger arose. "What happened?" I yelled, looking up at her through slits for eyes.

"You're a ghost!" she yelled back, almost as though she lost her cool the same moment I lost mine.

"Duh!" I heaved, laying back down and sighing in relief as the pain disappeared instantaneously. "Tell me something I don't know!" I crossed my arms on my chest and eyed her angrily. "Like, how the heck did I end up here!"

The doctor shook her head and took in a deep breath. "I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice gentle. "You ended up here after you crawled out of the rubble of a building."

I looked at her in amazement, fighting the urge to sit up again. "I…I was in a building?"

"Yeah…" the woman sighed and looked away. "About that…"

Fear started pumping through my veins, making me feel cold and numb. I looked up at my hair, gripping it with my hand nervously. It was till white, thank goodness. "Whew…" I sighed in relief and put my arm down gently.

"Huh?" Dr. Finch asked. "You have white hair…?"

"It just means that I'm still…uh…" the words caught in my throat. What did I tell her? That I'm still undead? Did I want to scar the woman forever? Although, her staring at me is getting kind of creepy. "Undead…" I smiled nervously at her.

"Undead…?" she rolled her eyes and sighed. "You see everything at this hospital."

"Tell me about it." I mumbled, waiting for her to do something. "Can I turn the tv on?" I asked weakly, feeling my chest tense up.

"No…" she shook her head. "Please…go back to sleep."

I wanted to fight with her, wanted to talk her into turning the tv on. But sleep did sound nice…and I could always figure out what happened later. I yawned and closed my eyes. "Fine."

..oo..00..oo..00..

"Miss?"

"Huh?" Maddie's eyes were closed and she was laying on the ground.

"Miss?" the stranger's voice sounded again. It began shaking her shoulder.

"Mmm…" she groaned, getting slightly annoyed.

"Miss!" the shaking became to much to ignore.

"What!" Maddie yelled, staring up at her shaker angrily. A young man covered in ash looked back at her. He was wearing firefighter's pants, but his shirt was just a short sleeved tee.

"Don't move." he said strongly, pulling a little radio out of his pocket. "We have a woman! I repeat an alive woman!"

The radio uttered something back, and he dropped the radio in his pants pocket. "Miss, you've been burned. I don't know the extent of your injuries. Please, don't move." he crouched down beside her and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Ah." she whispered. "Don't touch me."

The man lifted his hand off her shoulder with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm really sorry." he whispered, looking down at her sadly.

"It's ok." she mumbled. A small amount of dust fell in her eyes, but her arms hurt to much to move. "Damn."

"What's wrong?" the firefighter asked nervously.

"I've got dust in my eyes." she wailed. "And my arms hurt to much to get it out."

"Do you want me to help?" he asked, looking worried. "My name's Daren, by the way."

"Daren, huh?" Maddie whispered, her eyes aching and watering. "Please, rub my eyes."

"Ok…" Daren said confidently. He put his fingers to her eyes and preceded to wipe the irritating dust away. "There."

"Thanks." she smiled up at him. "Now…where are the towers?" she asked weakly. "They were right there."

Daren gulped loudly and looked away for a moment, holding back tears. Then, he looked down at her and said: "Lady, the towers collapsed. They're _gone._"

..oo..00..oo..00..

Right after the collapse...

"Dad!" Jazz yelled, fear in her eyes. "Another plane! It hit the Pentagon! I didn't know that!" she cried, the radio explaining every detail as they rushed to New York.

"What?" Jack looked down at her momentarily, then back at the road. "But..."

"I know!" Jazz exclaimed sadly, tears in her eyes. "They're saying...it's an attack!"

"An attack!" the car swirved. "AH!"

"AH!" Jazz cried, trying desperately to right the car. It took a few seconds, but it worked. "Whew..." she sighed, mentally kicking herself for losing control.

"Jazz...just relax, ok?" Jack whispered, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's going to be ok. You'll see." he smiled at her and took his hand away.

Tears started spilling down over the lids of Jazz's eyes, even though she tried desperately to stop them. "No...it won't be..." she said at last. Out of all the times she felt kicked in the gut, this is the one that made her sick.

"Jazz-"

"Dad! Thousands of people died today! That's not good! It's not _ok_!" she wailed, the road swimming in front of her.

Jack wanted to say something to try to calm her down, but deep down he knew that there was nothing he could do to sugar coat what was really happening. There was no way to help.


End file.
